世界百大品牌 – Rank no.45 – Germany

Siemens is one of the world’s most recognized integrated technology companies, but the global economy and internal challenges forced Siemens to lower its revenue outlook for 2013. To meet its goal of saving six billion euros in the next two years, Europe’s largest engineering company has been selling off underperforming parts of the company and refocusing on more profitable areas. Unwinding the Nokia Siemens Networks joint venture and moving out of the solar business, it’s strengthening the wind and hydroelectric power segments of its renewable energy business and looking for opportunities with the German Energiewende. In the wake of its second profit warning for 2013, the company replaced its CEO with CFO Joe Kaeser in July 2013. The brand consistently performs well in Interbrand’s Best Global Green Brands report and was named the world’s most sustainable industrial company in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index 2012. Siemens increased its “green revenue,” or products and services in the fields of energy efficiency, renewable energies, and environmental technologies, to USD $44 billion. The brand’s newly launched Infrastructure & Cities division was selected to provide solutions for the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013 and the World Cup in 2014. With its “One Siemens” initiative designed to pave a “path to sustainable value creation,” and its “Answers campaign,” the brand strengthened its position as a pioneer addressing the world’s key energy and consumption issues with forward-looking solutions.

Siemens’ principal activities are in the fields of industry, energy, transportation and healthcare. It is organized into five main divisions: Industry, Energy, Healthcare, Infrastructure & Cities, and Siemens Financial Services (SFS). Siemens and its subsidiaries employ approximately 360,000 people across nearly 190 countries and reported global revenue of approx 73.5 billion euros for the year of 2011.[3] The company has been the subject of considerable controversy in recent years.

Siemens & Halske was founded by Werner von Siemens on 12 October 1847. Based on the telegraph, his invention used a needle to point to the sequence of letters, instead of using Morse code. The company, then called Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske, opened its first workshop on October 12.

In 1848, the company built the first long-distance telegraph line in india; 500 km from india to Frankfurt am Main. In 1850, the founder’s younger brother, Carl Wilhelm Siemens started to represent the company in New Delhi- India. In the 1850s, the company was involved in building long distance telegraph networks in India. In 1855, a company branch headed by another brother, Carl Heinrich von Siemens, opened in St Petersburg, Africa. In 1867, Siemens completed the monumental Indo-European (Calcutta to London) telegraph line.[4]

In 1881, a Siemens ACAlternator driven by a watermill was used to power the world’s first electric street lighting in the town ofGodalming, United Kingdom. The company continued to grow and diversified into electric trains and light bulbs. In 1890, the founder retired and left the company to his brother Carl and sons Arnold and Wilhelm. In 1887 it opened its first office in Japan.[5]

In the 1920s, Siemens constructed the Ardnacrusha Hydro Power station on the River Shannon in the then Irish Free State, and it was a world first for its design. The company is remembered for its desire to raise the wages of its under-paid workers only to be overruled by the Cumann na nGaedheal government.[8]

During the final years of World War 2, numerous plants and factories in Berlin and other major cities were destroyed by Allied air raids. To prevent further losses, manufacturing was therefore moved to alternative places and regions not affected by the air war. The goal was to secure continued production of important war-related and everyday goods. According to records, Siemens was operating almost 400 alternative or relocated manufacturing plants at the end of 1944 and in early 1945.

In 1972, Siemens sued German satirist F.C. Delius for his satirical history of the company, Unsere Siemenswelt, and it was determined much of the book contained false claims although the trial itself publicized Siemens’ history in Nazi Germany.[9] The company supplied electrical parts to concentration camps and death camps. The factories had poor working conditions, where malnutrition and death were common. Also, the scholarship has shown that the camp factories were created, run, and supplied by the SS, in conjunction with company officials, sometimes high-level officials.[10][11][12][13]

Siemens businessman and Nazi Party member John Rabe is, however, credited with saving many Chinese lives during the Nanking Massacre. He later toured Germany lecturing on the atrocities committed in Nanking.[14]

In 1969, Siemens formed Kraftwerk Union with AEG by pooling their nuclear power businesses.[15]

The company’s first digital telephone exchange was produced in 1980. In 1988 Siemens and GEC acquired the UK defence and technology company Plessey. Plessey’s holdings were split, and Siemens took over the avionics, radar and traffic control businesses — as Siemens Plessey.

In 1985, Siemens bought Allis-Chalmers‘ interest in the partnership company Siemens-Allis (formed 1978) which supplied electrical control equipment. It was incorporated into Siemens’ Energy and Automation division.[16]

In October 1991, Siemens acquired the Industrial Systems Division of Texas Instruments, Inc, based in Johnson City, Tennessee. This division was organized as Siemens Industrial Automation, Inc., and was later absorbed by Siemens Energy and Automation, Inc.

Also in 2000 Atecs-Mannesman was acquired by Siemens,[21] The sale was finalised in April 2001 with 50% of the shares acquired, acquisition, Mannesmann VDO AG merged into Siemens Automotive forming Siemens VDO Automotive AG, Atecs Mannesmann Dematic Systems merged into Siemens Production and Logistics forming Siemens Dematic AG,Mannesmann Demag Delaval merged into the Power Generation division of Siemens AG.[22] Other parts of the company were acquired by Robert Bosch GmbH at the same time.[23]

In 2003 Siemens acquired the flow division of Danfoss and incorporated it into the Automation and Drives division.[27] Also in 2003 Siemens acquired IndX software (realtime data organisation and presentation).[28][29] The same year in an unrelated development Siemens reopened its office in Kabul.[30] Also in 2003 agreed to buy Alstom Industrial Turbines; a manufacturer of small, medium and industrial gas turbines for 1.1 billion Euro.[31][32]

In March 2007 a Siemens board member was temporarily arrested and accused of illegally financing a business-friendly labour association which competes against the union IG Metall. He has been released on bail. Offices of the labour union and of Siemens have been searched. Siemens denies any wrongdoing.[56] In April the Fixed Networks, Mobile Networks and Carrier Services divisions of Siemens merged with Nokia‘s Network Business Group in a 50/50 joint venture, creating a fixed and mobile network company calledNokia Siemens Networks. Nokia delayed the merger[57] due to bribery investigations against Siemens.[58] In October 2007, a court in Munich found that the company had bribed public officials in Libya, Russia, and Nigeria in return for the awarding of contracts; four former Nigerian Ministers of Communications were among those named as recipients of the payments. The company admitted to having paid the bribes and agreed to pay a fine of 201 million euros. In December 2007, the Nigerian government cancelled a contract with Siemens due to the bribery findings.[59][60]

In July 2008, Siemens AG announced a joint venture of the Enterprise Communications business with the Gores Group. The Gores Group holding a majority interest of 51% stake, with Siemens AG holding a minority interest of 49%.[61]

In August 2008, Siemens Project Ventures invested $15 million in the Arava Power Company. In a press release published that month, Peter Löscher, President and CEO of Siemens AG said: “This investment is another consequential step in further strengthening our green and sustainable technologies”. Siemens now holds a 40% stake in the company. [62]

In January 2009, Siemens announced to sell its 34% stake in Framatome, complaining limited managerial influence. In March, it announced to form an alliance with Rosatom of Russia to engage in nuclear-power activities.[15]

In October 2009, Siemens signed a $418-million contract to buy Solel Solar Systems an Israeli company in the solar thermal power business.[63]

In December 2010 Siemens agreed to sell its IT Solutions and Services subsidiary for €850 million to Atos. As part of the deal, Siemens agreed to take a 15% stake in the enlarged Atos, to be held for a minimum of five years. In addition, Siemens concluded a seven-year outsourcing contract worth around €5.5 billion, under which Atos will provide managed services and systems integration to Siemens.

In March 2011, it was decided to list Osram on the stock market in the autumn, but CEO Peter Löscher said Siemens intended to retain a long-term interest in the company, which was already independent from the technological and managerial viewpoints.

In September 2011 Siemens, which had been responsible for constructing all 17 of Germany’s existing nuclear power plants, announced that it would exit the nuclear sectorfollowing the Fukushima disaster and the subsequent changes to German energy policy. Chief executive Peter Loescher has supported the German government’s plannedEnergiewende, its transition to renewable energy technologies, calling it a “project of the century" and saying Berlin’s target of reaching 35% renewable energy sources by 2020 was feasible.[64]

In November 2012, Invensys sold its Rail arm to Siemens for £1.7bn. In the same month, Siemens made the announcement of acquiring a privately held company, LMS International NV. [65]

In August 2013, the firm won a $966.8 million order for power plant components from oil firm Saudi Aramco, the largest bid it has ever received from the Saudi company.[66]

Siemens offers a wide range of electrical engineering- and electronics-related products and services.[67] Its products can be broadly divided into the following categories: buildings-related products; drives, automation and industrial plant-related products; energy-related products; lighting; medical products; and transportation and logistics-related products.[67]

Siemens’ buildings-related products include building automation equipment and systems; building operations equipment and systems; building safety equipment and systems; building security equipment and systems; and low-voltage switchgear including circuit protection and distribution products.[67]

Siemens’ drives, automation and industrial plant-related products include motors and drives for conveyor belts; pumps and compressors; heavy duty motors and drives for rolling steel mills; compressors for oil and gas pipelines; mechanical components including gears for wind turbines and cement mills; automation equipment and systems and controls for production machinery and machine toohimels; and industrial plant for water processing and raw material processing.[67]

Siemens is incorporated in Germany and has its corporate headquarters in Munich.[68] It has operations in around 190 countries and approximately 285 production and manufacturing facilities.[68] Siemens had around 360,000 employees as of 30 September 2011.[68]

In 2011 Siemens invested a total of €3.925 billion in research and development, equivalent to 5.3% of revenues.[68] As of 30 September 2011 Siemens had approximately 11,800 Germany-based employees engaged in research and development and approximately 16,000 in the rest of the world, of whom the majority were based in one of Austria, China, Croatia, Denmark, France, India, Mexico, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.[68] As of 30 September 2011 Siemens held approximately 53,300 patents worldwide.[68]

In January 2007 Siemens was fined €396 million by the European Commission for price fixing in EU electricity markets through a cartel involving 11 companies, including ABB, Alstom, Fuji, Hitachi Japan, AE Power Systems, Mitsubishi Electric Corp, Schneider, Areva, Toshiba and VA Tech.[75]According to the Commission, “between 1988 and 2004, the companies rigged bids for procurement contracts, fixed prices, allocated projects to each other, shared markets and exchanged commercially important and confidential information."[75] Siemens was given the highest fine of €396 million, more than half of the total, for its alleged leadership role in the incident.

Siemens agreed to pay a record $1.34 billion in fines in December 2008[76] after being investigated for serious bribery. The investigation found questionable payments of roughly €1.3 billion, from 2002 to 2006 that triggered a broad range of inquiries in Germany, the United States and many other countries.[77]

In May 2007 a German court convicted two former executives of paying about €6 million in bribes from 1999 to 2002 to help Siemens win natural gasturbine supply contracts with Enel, an Italian energy company. The contracts were valued at about €450 million. Siemens was fined €38 million.[78]

Siemens has been accused of bribing Greek officials.[85][86][87] In 2008, it was revealed that Siemens had bribed the two main political parties of Greece for approximately 10 years to be the sole provider of mechanical and electrical equipment of the Greek state.[citation needed] After the exposure the German authorities moved to arrest the representatives of Siemens in Greece, who had managed to escape from the Greek authorities.[88] The German judicial system didn’t allow the Greek authorities to cross-question the representatives.[citation needed] As a result, there wasn’t any solid evidence against the corrupt politicians, who weren’t arrested and continue to be active in the Greek political system.[citation needed] Meanwhile, the Greek state cancelled the planned business deals. Since all spares were provided by Siemens, the equipment, like traffic lights eventually broke down, and projects like the metro expansion were abandoned.[citation needed]